Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play September Song on piano
By JP Cooper
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 94 BPM
- V–vi–IV–I loop
- Medium
Learn September Song in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – Cm – Ab – Eb
September Song sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Cm is C, Eb and G; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbVCmviAbIVEbI- BbBb · D · F
- CmC · Eb · G
- AbAb · C · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Cartwheel heartbeat
Five evenly spaced notes roll across the beats, then land on 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3e · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 89 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Somersault chords
Evenly spaced chords roll across the beats, then flip into the next bar. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 94 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Cm – Ab – Eb
The last chords are vi – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmAbEb
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Questions about September Song
What chords are in September Song?
The loop is Bb – Cm – Ab – Eb (V – vi – IV – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Cm – Ab – Eb.
What key is September Song in?
Eb major, at about 94 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in September Song?
Cartwheel heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2& · 3e · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is September Song easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.